Sign



A. D. IVICKELLH.

SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.28I 1917.

Patented July I9, will.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 A. D. IVICKELLAH.

SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.28, |917.

Patend July 19, 1921.,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. D. MCKELLAR.

SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED AIIG.28. ISI?.

Ll l I I Patented July 19. 1921..

3 SHEET-SHEET 3.

QM'VM..

ARCHBALD D. 'MCKELLAR OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SIGN..

Application filed August 2s, 1917. serial No. 188,671.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that l, ARCHIBALD D. MCKEL- LAR, a citizen of the United States, and a. resident of the city of Chicago, county ot Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new 'and useful Improvements in Signs, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to improvements in sign members, and has for its object the provision of an improved construction of this character by means of which a large variety of signs may be exhibited in small space and the characterof such signs readily changed at will.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best Vunderstood by reference to the accompanyingV drawings forming a part of this specification, and 1n which,

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a sign embodying my invention,

IvFig. 2, a section taken at right angles to Fig. 3, a detail view illustrating driving gearing employed in the sign,

Fig. 4, a face view of the sign,

Fig. 5, avertical transverse section of the sign, said section being taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 6,

Fig. 6, a horizontal section of the sign,

Fig. 7, a side view of a hopper employed in the construction,

Fig. 8, a rear view of said hopper,

Fig. 9, a detail view oi one of a plurality of sign members employed in the construction Y Fig. 10, a horizontal section taken on line 10--10 of Fig. 7,

Fig. 11,.a detail section taken through one side of the lower portion of the hopper,

Fig. 12, a `detail section illustrating `the arrangement of one of two transferring disks employed in the construction,

Fig. 13, ya bottom plan view of the hopper, and

Fig. 14, a detail view at right angles to Fig. 12.

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises a suitable case 17 having a glass covered sight opening 18 in the front face thereof and equipped with a vertical elevator conveyer consisting of two, parallel sprocket chains 19 running over sprockets 20 and 21 secured to' shafts 22 and 23 as shown. ,Shaft 23 is extended at one end and carries a gear 24 meshing with a gear 25 on a shaft 26, said gear 25 in turn meshing with a pinion 27 on the 'motor shaft 28 of an ordinary electric motor 29. The chains 19 are provided at suitable. intervals with elevating hooks arranged in pairs as Shown, and adapted .to 4engage and support trunnions 31 projectinglaterally from each side ofthe upper portions of the diiierent sign members 32, 'which as shown, are letters of the alphabet.

The case 17 is provided at the rear with a movable door 33 giving access to theinterior thereof and a removable hopper or carrier 34 is arranged to be inserted or removed through said door, and said door thus serving as `manually operable means for locking said carrier in the case. The hopper 34 is open` at the rear and is provided at its forward end withlaterally extending vertical guide channels 35` extending from the top to the bottom thereof. `At thekbottom the hopper 34 vis provided at eachside with a supporting block 36 having a positioning rib 36on the bottom thereof adapted to fit Within a groove in a supporting block 37 Isecuredto the correspondingside` of the case 17. A guide apronv 38 and guide iianges 39 are arrangedat the upper endof the elevator in case 17 to engage the sign members 32 and their laterally extending trunnions 31 to .disengage said sign members from the hooks 30 and discharge them into the top of hopper 34with their trunnions Ytraveling in the guide Channels 35. As indicated, the guide channels 35 are given a slightly forward inclination which causes the sign members 32 to vturn over in hopper 34 as they travel downwardly and` thus assume their original positions therein. The hopper 34 is provided with a downwardly swinging bottom 4() carrying slide bolts 41 adapted to engage corresponding,openings .or sockets 41 provided in the sidewalls of hopper 34, said bottom thus permittingof the ready transportation of the sign members in the hopper 34 and the ready discharge thereof when desired. i

Spring held supporting lingers 42 are arranged immediately under the lowery ends of the channels 35 being normally held in elevatedpositions by means of leaf springs 43 and in positionfto temporarily support the trunnions of the lowermost sign member in hopper 34. Transfer disks 44 are posinions 3l of a sign member supported by said fingers and Withdraw said sign membfefr"` from said hopper and from the suPPOt fingers 42; saidV notches serving to transfer said trunnions on to guides 46 onthefside walls of the case 17 Where said trunnions are engaged bythe hooks '30 and carriedf'up'- wardly by the elevating chains 19 to be discharged into the top of hopper-34 in'fthe order in which theyare removed -from'the bottom thereof.V 1 l By this arrangement, it will .be observed that if the sign membersBQ- are arranged in hopper 34 in proper order Ito spell-the various words lof a sign, they will be 'automatically removed from said `hopper, "'displayed in proper order through the glass i8 and returned to tlietop of Said hopper, such arrangement permitting of the usecf a large number of sign members in compact space and also permitting of the read-yffremoval of one hopperful` of sign members and the substitution of another hopperful of differently arranged sign membersgthus facilitating the-ready changing or altering ofthe sign exhibit. 'f `While I have illustrated land describedthe preferred formY of construction )for carrying my invention into eect;y thisis Acapable of variation 4and modification without departing from the spirit of the inventionJ-WI, thereforeydoV not wish to be limited tothe precise details of 'construction' set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.` I

Having described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by-Letters Patent is:

" l. A sign comprising a'ease; a carrier removablymounted in said case and 'adapted and arranged tov containv av c'ompletefset of sign members manually operable .members for locking said carrier in said case; atraveling conveyer arrangedl to exhibitnsaidsign members; means for withdrawing sign membfers from said-carrier, andoperativelyeonne'cting them with said conveyer and means for withdrawing' said sign members from said conveyer. and discharging them into said carrier, substantially asdescribedu g '2. A sign comprising aA case; a carrier removably mounted in said case and adapted` `and larranged to contain "af complete set A v of sign members; manually operablevmeans for lockingsadcarrier'insaid case; a traveling conveyer arranged gto-exhibit,saidr sign membersa'means for withdrawing sign members from the bottom of saidf carrier and Voperatively connecting' them with said conveyer; and means for withdrawing sign members from saidl conveyer and discharging them in the top of said carrier, substantially asgdescribed.I

sign'comprising a case; a carrier removably mounted in said case and adapted and arranged to contain a complete set Aof *signy members; and means for removing sign members from said carrier, exhibiting themand thenreturning them to said carrier, substantially as described. Y

4f. A sign comprisingacase; a hopperin saidy oase adapted and arrangedvto receive Asign members ati-the top and discharge them at the bottom plurality of signmemb'ers,

feach'having laterally extending trunn-ions; i

conveyer in operative relation withsaid hopper toothed disks operating under said hopper and arranged to engage the trunnionsof they bottom-most sign'memb'er thereinandremove said sign member therefrom;

means* for effecting rengag'ement `between "said removed'rsignI member and 'said' conveyer; andmeans for disengaging said sign member from saidc'onveyer and redepositing it in said hopper, substantially'as described."V` I 5. A sign' comprising a case;` aremovable hopper adapted to contain 'sign members, said hop'p'erbeing provided with guidechannels extendingifrom'the top'l to the bottom thereof; a removable bottom for said :hopper; sign membershaving laterally extendingl trunnio'ns arranged to travel in- Asaid guide channels; an'elevator 'consisting of two parallel 4chains having hooks adapted .to engage said trunnions; guide members at the top of said elevatorfadapted to engage said sign member-sand trunnions,I release them fromsaid hooks'anddischarge them v into the top of said hopper; 'spring held fingers arranged to support the trunnions of thebottommost sign member in said hopper; toothed' disks "operating under .said hopper and larranged to "engage the itrunnions of the bottommost sign member there# tending trunnions arranged to travel in said guide channels; an elevator consisting of tli`ei`eof;sign vmembers@having laterally eX- two` .parallelchans having hooks ladapted to engage vsaidtrunni'ons guide members at the topvwof said elevator adapted to 'engage said sign `members and trunnions, release them vfrom said `hooks, and,V dischargethem into thewtp of said hopper; Vspring held fingers arranged to support the trunnions of the bottommost signmember in said hopper; toothed disks operating under said hopper and arranged to engage the trunnions of the bottommost sign member therein and remove said sign member therefrom; and guides adapted to engage the trunnions of the sign members removed by said disks and direct the same into engagement with the hooks on said chains, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specioation in the presence of 10 two subscribing witnesses.

ARCHIBALD D. MCKELLAR.

/Vitnesses JOSHUA R. H. Po'r'rs, B. G. RICHARDS. 

